Experts brainstorm on bridging the gap between industry and education

Stakeholders in Ghana’s technical and vocational education and training have met in Accra to brainstorm on how to address the mismatch and bridge the gap between industry and education which has in recent times, become the headache of successive governments.

Key on the agenda was the Development of Skills for Industry Project (DSIP) as the bedrock for the country’s industrialization drive being spearheaded by the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

Under the DSIP, the Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (COTVET) which is the implementing agency, and being funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB), has designed a number of activities that mainly include infrastructure development and capacity building to support the Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) sector in Ghana.

The stakeholders will have the chance the review one of the flagship activities of DSIP which has been completed, thus, Competence Based Training (CBT) expansion program. This activity focused on the development of three CBT training packages at different levels of the National TVET qualifications Framework (NTVETQF) to be used by various training providers to strengthen the TVET Reform.

Acting Executive Director of COTVET, Dr. Fred Kyei Asamoah, addressing the participants said the engagement has become necessary because TVET institutions across the country design and develop curricular without the involvement of industry.

This shortfall, he noted, has created a huge mismatch and gaps between industry and education and training which has affected work performance standards and is undermining the socio-economic agenda of the country.

“For this country to be industrialized and productive there is the need to re-direct our efforts towards developing competitive workforce and we can only do this by ensuring that we involve industry in the training of their next users. We cannot continue to allow industry and education and training to operate differently and expect to achieve any meaningful results,” he noted.

The successful implementation of the CBT concept in Ghana, he added, will in no doubt require significant industry involvement and contributions some of which include; the setting up of Sector Councils by the various industry players to generate and validate occupational standards, accepting and assessing learners for Workplace Experience Learning (WEL) and donating tools and equipment and other relevant facilities that may be helpful to the training of learners to achieve relevant industry skills.

Another important requirement for the successful implementation of the CBT concept, he noted, is the development of CBT training packages which is a key requirement for the accreditation of CBT programs.

Dr. Asamoah further told journalists on the sidelines of the event that for the country to succeed in bridging the gab between industry and education, there is the need to invest more than 50% of Ghana’s resources into the sector.

He urged Ghanaians to rally behind the President and the Minister of Education for prioritizing Ghana’s industrialization agenda.

Players who participated in the event were drawn from Kumasi Technical University (KsTU), NVTI, Takoradi Technical Institute, Ghana National Association of Garages (GNAG), NCTE, COLTEK, Comboni Technical Vocational Institute, Sogakope, VALCO, NIA, MESTI, Ho Technical University, OIC Ghana, ABE Engineering, NABPTEX, Ghana Electrical Contractors Association, GRATIS Foundation, KNUST, Bolga Technical Institute, Cape Coast Technical University, Koforidua Technical University, Gold Fields Ghana, COLTEK, Newmont Ghana, Accra Technical University, Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Food and Agriculture and GECA.